Become a Volunteer

Interested in Becoming a Volunteer?

On average, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton (HSGD) cares for 4,500 animals each year. We are the only area shelter that takes in all animals, allowing our impact to extend beyond dogs and cats. We also help rabbits, ferrets and other pets move from homelessness to becoming a loved member of the family.

You can be a part of this team dedicated to ensuring that every animal is loved and finds its forever home. We are always in need of new volunteers to assist us in caring for Dayton’s animals; however, volunteering at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton can be an emotional experience that requires a strong commitment. While we do have a large number of people who go through our orientation and training process, not everyone will be able to continue volunteering with us. Some may not be able to commit the necessary time, while others may decide that they are unable to deal with the emotions that come from spending time with animals who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. For more on what it takes to be a Humane Society of Greater Dayton volunteer, please read through the physical, emotional, mental and supervision requirements for each volunteer opportunity.

Steps to volunteer:

Open house (approximately 90 minutes): Sign up to attend an open house. All open houses are held at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton facility located at 1661 Nicholas Road. The open house discussion will include the HSGD mission, the value of our volunteer program, and conclude with a tour of the shelter. You must be at least 10 years old to attend. Volunteers under the age of 18 MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the open house. Volunteers under the age of 16 must complete the volunteer training process with an adult, and be accompanied by that adult each time they come to volunteer. When signing up for an open house, please sign each attendee up separately as seats are limited.

Basic Training (approximately 1 hour): To help make your introduction into the world of the Humane Society of Greater Dayton a smooth one, we provide all of our volunteers a foundation of training that encompasses safety, sanitation, and animal basics such as body language. You will also be introduced to the shelter staff members that you will be working closely with to accomplish HSGD goals.

Online Quiz (approximately 30 minutes): All of our volunteers-in-training MUST complete an online quiz to ensure understanding and proficiency in shelter safety. This quiz is mandatory, and must be completed within one week of completing Step 2. A link to this quiz will be provided at the Basic Training.

Becoming an Official Volunteer: (approximately 45 minutes): After successful completion of the quiz, our volunteers are ready to become official! You will meet one-on-one with our Volunteer Coordinator to set-up your volunteer account, receive your t-shirt and name badge, and complete liability forms. You will also discuss with the VC the option to sign-up for an animal training session for those who wish to directly work with our adoptable animals.

Animal Mentor Training (optional) (approximately 90 minutes): All official volunteers are welcome to attend classes with our skilled volunteer mentors. These classes will open up doors for our volunteers to interact with HSGD animals and assist with shelter cleaning, training, enrichment, and much much more!

About The Humane Society of Greater Dayton

The Humane Society of Greater Dayton is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded more than a century ago by a group of concerned citizens with a desire to ensure that "all animals will be wanted." Today the organization still operates with the purpose of building loving relationships between people and pets.